Syllabus
ANTHROPOLOGY 100
Introduction to Biological Anthropology
Palomar College – Fall 2012 -- Dr. de Barros
| Instructor | Dr. Philip de Barros (or Dr. D) |
| Office Hours | MW 8:30-9:30; TTh 9:30-11:00 or by appointment in Room MD-253 (new 3-story multidisciplinary building) |
|
Class No., Room & Time |
#70012, MW in MD-124, 9:30-10:50 AM #70014, TTh in MD-124, 8:00-9:20 AM #73635, MW in MD-124, 2:00-3:20 PM |
| Phone | 760-744-1150 x2343 |
| pdebarros@palomar.edu | |
| ONLINE | BLACKBOARD: https://learn.palomar.edu/webapps/login |
|
Required Texts |
|
|
Science, Evolution, and Creationism 54 pages |
National Academy of Sciences (2008) FREE IN BLACKBOARD |
|
Evolution and the Fossil Record 23 pages |
American Geological Institute (2001) FREE IN BLACKBOARD |
| The Complete World of Human Evolution, 2nd Edition | Stringer and Andrews (2012) |
| STUDY GUIDES (in Blackboard) | de Barros (2012) |
| If you have difficulty printing a study guide (i.e., no printer), print out a copy at the Palomar library. | |
| Supplemental Readings | FREE IN BLACKBOARD (2012) |
| To succeed in this class, you must: 1) read the book; 2) come to class regularly so you know what to study for tests; and, 3) bring the appropriate Study Guide and Supplementary Readings to class and take notes on them. | |
|
Required Essay: Choose One |
|
| Doubt is Their Product: How Industry's Assault on Science Threatens Your Health | David Michaels (2008) |
| Undermining Science: Suppression and Distortion in the Bush Administration | Seth Schulman (2006) |
| The Panic Virus: The True Story of Medicine, Science and Fear | Seth Mnookin (2011) |
| Recommended Texts | |
| Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo-Devo | Sean Carroll (2005) |
| The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution | Richard Dawkins (2009) |
| The Making of the Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution | Sean Carroll (2006) |
| Why Evolution is True | Jerry Coyne (2009) |
| Only a Theory: Evolution and the Battle for America's Soul | Kenneth R. Miller (2008) |
BLACKGOARD provides the following:
| 1 | Class Study Guides and Supplemental Readings |
| 2 | Exam Study Guides |
| 3 | Syllabus |
| 4 | Links to interesting web pages and other recommended material |
| 5 | Links to recommended tutorials |
| 6a | Extra Credit field trip Instructions |
| 6b | REQUIRED ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS ARE IN BLACKBOARD |
|
Access to a assignment and exam grades. Blackboard provides
mean scores and total points, but the instructor uses the median score and DOES NOT calculate grades based on 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, etc. [see below] |
USEFUL WEB PAGES
| Anthro Dept. | http://www.palomar.edu/anthropology |
| Philip de Barros | http://daphne.palomar.edu/debarros |
| Tutorials | http://anthro.palomar.edu/tutorials/biological.htm |
| Archaeology Program | http://www.palomar.edu/archaeology |
| Careers in Anthropology |
http://www.aaanet.org/careers.htm
http://www.umanitoba.ca/student/counselling/WhatCanIDo/anthropology.html |
| FAQs: Career inArchaeology |
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Biological Anthropology focuses on:
| 1 | the nature of science; threats to integrity of science; informal logical fallacies |
| 2 | evolution and the theory of natural selection |
| 3 | the basic principles of genetics and inheritance; epigenetics |
| 4 | human diversity and adaptability; race and racism; gender issues |
| 5 | the place of humans among living things |
| 6 | primate characteristics and behavior (primatology) |
| 7 | primate, and especially human, evolution (paleoanthropology) |
STUDENT LEARNING
OBJECTIVES (SLOs) FOR ANTH 100
The student will be able to
| 1 | Explain the basic assumptions of science and how the scientific method works, including its focus on the study of natural causes and effects and the importance of peer review. |
| 2 | Explain how Darwin's theory of natural selection results in evolution, adaptation and design, and how evolution affects our everyday lives. |
| 3 | Understand the basic principles of genetic inheritance and how this relates to our everyday lives. |
| 4 | Understand the nature of human biological diversity, including how it relates to popular misconceptions about race. |
| 5 | Explain the basic patterns of hominid evolution over the last seven million years, including the origins of Homo sapiens in Africa. |
THERE ARE FOUR SETS OF STUDY GUIDES AND FOUR SETS OF SUPPLMENTAL READINGS FOR THE FOUR PARTS OF THE COURSE. DOWNLOAD THEM AND TAKE NOTES ON THEM IN CLASS.
FOUR REQUIRED AND ONE RECOMMENDED ONLINE TUTORIALS
AT
http://anthro.palomar.edu/tutorials/biological.htm. You can also access
them through Blackboard.
Prior to Exam 1: TWO
REQUIRED TUTORIALS: Biological Basis of Heredity;
AND,
Modern Theories of Evolution (but skip Hardy Weinberg topic); and STRONGLY
RECOMMENDED: Basic
Principles of
Genetics, especially the first two topic
sections
Prior to Exam 2: TWO REQUIRED TUTORIALS: Human Biological Adaptability;
AND Primate Behavior.
No extra credit is provided for doing others. Each tutorial is worth 20 points. To receive the points you MUST:
| 1 | Read each "TOPICS" section and take the online practice quiz for each. DO NOT PRINT OUT QUIZ RESULTS |
| 2 | Print first page of the tutorial (title page with name of tutorial studied, e.g., "Biological Basis of Heredity"). |
| 3 | Write "I have read the tutorial & taken the practice quizzes" on the title page. |
| 4 | Then print your name, and sign it. NO CREDIT w/o SIGNATURE or with illegible signature and no name. |
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
PARTICIPATION--ATTENDANCE:
Doing
well depends on active class participation: regular attendance to class;
contributions to class discussions; turning in all tutorial assignments.
ABSENCES: YOU WILL BE DROPPED FROM THE CLASS IF YOU MISS TOO MANY CLASSES WITHOUT WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION OF MEDICAL OR FAMILY EMERGENCY. Absences for 2-3 days in a row can quickly lead to being dropped.
NOTE: DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS if you are planning to take off on vacation or other trips for an extended period during the semester. You will be DROPPED FROM THE CLASS.
FINANCIAL AID STUDENTS: if you are dropped during the course of the class, you will be required to pay back any monies accrued after that date.
ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES: are to be TURNED OFF and kept in your pocket, purse or backpack at all times during class. Do not answer your cell phone in class. NO TEXTING, CHECKING EMAIL, SURFING THE WEB, WATCHING VIDEOS OR LISTENING TO MUSIC DURING CLASS. If you do such activities, you will be SINGLED OUT and asked to leave the class and marked absent.
LAPTOPS: YOU MUST SIT IN THE FRONT ROW IF YOU HAVE A LAPTOP. If used for other than taking class notes, you will lose the privilege of using the laptop in class. The instructor reserves the right to inspect your laptop notes in class to confirm this is what you are doing.
TARDINESS
and EARLY DEPARTURES disturb the class learning process.
If you must come late or leave early
due to a medical or work appointment, enter and leave at the
back of the class. If
you are frequently late to
class, you may be asked to leave the class the next time you are late.
Frequently tardy individuals may find
the door is locked when they arrive.
TAKE CARE OF RESTROOM, FOOD and DRINK needs BEFORE
CLASS.
DO NOT LEAVE CLASS TO ANSWER YOUR CELL PHONE or
for any other reason, except a an emergency bathroom break or required medical
or work appointment (ask first). You may be asked to leave if you exit the
class for no apparent reason and then try to come back.
TEACHER PET PEEVES, I.E., THIS IS NOT HIGH SCHOOL!: Do not: 1) talk with your neighbor; 2) pass or write or exchange verbal or nonverbal messages with someone sitting next to you. If such behavior occurs after being warned, you will be seated separately.
VIDEOS, ESSAY, AND EXAMS
IN-CLASS VIDEOS: Questions for most videos are provided in the study guides. Exams contain questions on the videos.
REQUIRED ESSAY WORTH 70 POINTS: 1) SEE GUIDELINES IN BLACKBOARD; 2) YOU CANNOT PASS THIS CLASS WITHOUT COMPLETING THE ESSAY. 70 POINTS
EXAMS: Exams are multiple choice/true-false). THE FINAL EXAM IS NOT CUMULATIVE. You will receive a letter grade for each exam but your final course grade will be based on the total points accumulated. Exam and course grades are based on a curve centered on the median (middle) score. Those who score above the median receive As and Bs; those below B-, Cs, etc. I DO NOT DROP ANY EXAM GRADES!!! FAILURE TO TAKE ALL FOUR EXAMS = YOU FAIL THE COURSE.
PLEASE NOTE ------ EXAM 3 is on Wednesday, November 21st. NO MAKEUPS IF YOU MISS THIS EXAM!!!!
MAKEUP EXAMS (not allowed for Exam 3 on Wednesday November 2st): Given only under exceptional circumstances, i.e., a personal, family or medical emergency documented in writing. Midterms MUST be made up within 2-3 days after a student's return to the classroom. THERE IS A 10% PENALTY FOR MISSING THE REGULAR EXAM DATE. NO EARLY OR LATER FINAL EXAMS OR SPECIAL DATE EXAMS PERMITTED unless they are due to a documented family or medical emergency. Do not come and ask to take an exam early or later because of any vacation plans!
CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM:
| 1 | I reserve the right to ask for a student's ID if I think some is trying to take an exam for someone else. |
| 2 | You are not permitted to leave class during exams. |
| 3 | Cell phones must be turned off and put away during an exam. If you expect an emergency call during class, inform me of this prior to class. |
| 4 | Plagiarism in papers and cheating on exams will not be tolerated. If discovered, you will get an automatic "F" on the paper or exam, and you may be recommended to the Dean for suspension from school. |
| 5 | Plagiarism defined: a) the wholesale copying/extensive partial copying/internet cut & pasting of sentences, paragraphs, pages or entire articles from existing literature; b) the writing of your paper by someone else, including a classmate. IF YOU CHEAT BY PLAGIARIZING, YOU WILL RECEIVE ZERO POINTS (loss of 70 points). |
| 6 | Note: the instructor does check for plagiarism on papers using available Internet tools; it is often very clear to an instructor when a student has not written their own paper. |
| 7 | For further info on plagiarism, how to avoid it & how to cite sources, see: http://library.csusm.edu/plagiarism/index.html. |
EXTRA CREDIT EMAIL QUESTIONS: Students are encouraged to email thoughtful questions to the instructor. Up to 15 points/student per semester may be awarded. NO EC EMAIL QUESTIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER Sunday, December 6th.
OTHER POSSIBLE EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS:
Due no later than Friday at 5 PM, December 14th. SEE BLACKBOARD FOR
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS.
| 1 | Observation of a SINGLE (not multiple) primate species at San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park. 2.5-3 pages; summarize & reflect on what you learned. |
| OR | |
| 2 | Evolution of Man exhibit., Museum of Man, Balboa Park -- take notes. Write 2.5-3 pages; summarize and reflect upon what you learned. |
| 3 | YOU MUST TURN IN FIELD NOTES with either paper to get credit. See DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS IN Blackboard. If done properly, it may boost a borderline grade upward, e.g., high B+ to A-. |
INCOMPLETES: Incompletes are discouraged, but are granted in exceptional cases.
LAST DAY TO
ADD THIS
CLASS WITHOUT a Permission
Number,
Sunday, August 26; WITH a
Permission Code: Sunday, September 2.
LAST DAY TO
DROP WITH NO NOTATION ON RECORD:
Monday, September 3
NOTE THE CHANGE TO A MUCH EARLIER DATE THAN IN PREVIOUS SEMESTERS!!!!!
LAST DAY TO
DROP WITH A "W" GRADE:
Saturday, October 13
NOTE: YOU WILL BE DROPPED FROM THE CLASS IF YOU MISS TOO MANY CLASSES.
WITHDRAWAL POLICY: You are responsible for your own withdrawal. Unofficial withdrawals result in "F" or "FW" grade; both count as an "F" for your GPA.
COURSE
GRADE:
| Exam 1 | 70 points |
| Exam 2 | 70 points |
| Exam 3 | 70 points |
| Exam 4 (FINAL EXAM) | 70 points |
| ESSAY | 70 points |
| Total Possible | 350 points |
| Extra Credit emails | up to 15 points total |
| Class participation/attendance and/or Extra Credit Zoo/Wild Animal Park or Museum Assignment can boost borderline grades up to the next grade, e.g., from a B+ to an A-. Only one field trip EC assignment can be done. | |